Radiation shields are commonly used by medical personnel. These shields are worn by both medical personnel and patients when radiation is being applied. For example, patients are often exposed to radiation during x-rays. Various types of radiation treatments are also applied during cancer treatments. Regardless of the use, it is important that the radiation exposure to both the patient and the health care worker be minimized. For this reason, lead aprons are usually worn by the patient and/or the healthcare worker.
The problem with such “x-ray aprons” is that they are designed to be reused. Thus, in order for x-ray aprons to be used in sterile environments, such as operating rooms, they must be covered with a sterile fabric gown. However, even with such a covering, blood and other drainage often strikes through to contaminate the underlying shield. Moreover, traditional x-ray aprons tend to be heavy and bulky and thereby restrict the movements of the wearer.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,355 to Maine (the '355 Patent) discloses a two-piece radiation shield vest and skirt for protecting a wearer's upper and lower body, respectively, from radiation. The vest and skirt disclosed in the '355 Patent, however, fails to protect a wearer's neck, thereby leaving the thyroid gland exposed to the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. Further, the vest and skirt are reusable and thus may result in the undesirable transfer of germs or other contaminants from one user to another if not properly sterilized. Further, the vest and skirt of the '355 Patent is heavy and bulky and requires adjustability for distributing the weight and minimizing fatigue.
Also known in the art is U.S. Pat. No. 8,624,212 to Yang, et al. (the '212 Patent), which discloses radiation resistant clothing consisting of a first radiation resistant layer for reflecting electromagnetic radiation and a second radiation resistant layer for absorbing electromagnetic radiation. The clothing disclosed in the '212 application, however, also fails to protect the neck of the user, thereby leaving the thyroid gland susceptible to the harmful effects of radiation. Further, the garments of neither the '355 Patent or the '212 Patent are single-use, sterile, or disposable.
What is needed, therefore, is a sterile, single use, light weight surgical gown that is radiation resistant and that protects the patient's and/or health care worker's neck and lower body from unwanted radiation exposure. The radiation resistant gown of the present disclosure fulfills these and other needs in the art.